Instructions

When did it become common to put the minimum information needed in instruction manuals.  I remember years ago when I would buy some new piece of electronic the instruction manual would include how to set it up and than information on what you could do with said piece of equipment.  Nowdays you barely get enough information on how to set up your new item.  As little information as they can get away with giving.

And don't say you can go online to get all information you need.  I shouldn't have to go online to get what I need from buying something new.

And I'm looking at you Logitech Revue....

Accident

Great way to start the new year.  I was in a car accident coming home from work tonight.  Everyone is safe.  Not sure how much damage was done to my car, the passenger side is punched in pretty bad.  It was drivable.  The other car had a little damage on his bumper, it was a Chevy Avalanche.  And the worst part is that it was my fault.  Stupid stupid stupid.....

New Sofa and Recliner

Next week I'll be the proud owner of a new sofa and recliner.  My old sofa was just that old and I didn't have a recliner.  I'm ditching the love seat and getting the recliner, which I think I'll enjoy more.   Both are very comfortable from my trying them out at the store, so I'm happy.  I'd like to tear up the carpet and put down a wooden floor and some other changes, but right now I have to see how the money situation will be.  More problems on the homefront, with outside repairs continually  cropping up.

Heather's Wedding

One of my best friends was married this past weekend.  Now I know why I hate pictures of myself.....

A Mess

I have a problem with a corner of my roof and part of the side of my home.  Which just happens to be where my computer and office is set up.  So to get in here lately I've had to climb over all the junk that had to come out of the closets so they could work on the walls.  The good news is that it's almost done.

Hot, Hot, Hot

My A/C in my home went out today.  All I can say is that it's hot.

Losing My Mind

Today at work my boss asked me what was happening tomorrow, tomorrow being Sunday.  I told him nothing, I was just off.  He replied that I had requested Sunday off, that was why he had given it to me.  Now I have no idea why I requested it off...I'm sure something was happening if I asked for it off.  But what?

A mind is a terrible thing to see vanish....

Hot

When I got off work today at 4 it was 106 degrees.

Gone But I'm Back

A few things came up and most of the last two weeks I've been out of town. But I'm back and I'll be posting again, of course tomorrow with the peace globes.

A Few Things That Have Been Bothering Me Lately...

Why are we still focusing on the balloon kid and his parents? You'd think with everything else going on in the world, you know things like the economy and the war and all, the media would have something a little more important to report on. If the media keeps making events like this EVENTS than parents are going to continue to do things like this.

How hard is it to get the fist in a fish fillet sandwich on the bun, not half on the bun or partly on the bun, but on the bun so when you go to eat it the sandwich isn't falling half out all over the place? This one really irks me, as usually the only time I'll get a fish fillet sandwich is when I'm running the streets and go through a drive through and keep going as I eat. Do you know how hard it is to get the sandwich back in place when you're trying to drive? Really how hard is it to get it right the first time?

Today at work I heard two customers complain about their wait and how it was Obama's fault. Don't ask me how, I had to keep going or I would have gotten into a lot of trouble. This happens a lot at work, I'll hear comments about the President that are so stupid or that make no sense and I just ignore it. At work I'm not there to argue with customers about their politics, but sometimes it's hard.

Ok, that's it for today. Just a few things I've been thinking about lately that has been bothering me.

A New Beginning

Today Vinny and Nancy were married. I wish them all the best in the world.

This world of blogging is strange. I've never met Vinny or Nancy, but I feel like they're friends. You talk back and forth over these internet connections and you feel a friendship develop. You start to care for people you've never met. So on this wonderful and important day for them I wish them the best and I leave them with this song from Joey Ramone "What A Wonderful World" in the hopes that their world is wonderful for all time.

What Day Is This?

All day I've felt like today is Saturday. At work it just had that Saturday type vibe and even after I've gotten home I keep thinking that it's Saturday before catching myself. Weird.

The Greater Kennedy

Image by dbking via Flickr

Eunice Kennedy died today. She was a daughter of Joseph Kennedy and brother to John F and Robert Kennedy.

When I was younger (much younger, back during my final school years and soon afterwards) I all but revered John F Kennedy. I bought every book I could find on him. I devoured any facts I came across if they related to Kennedy. At that time most of the books were little more than love letters to the fallen leader. It was fifteen-twenty years after he was gunned down in Dallas but we as a nation still pictured him with a halo.

Somewhere over time, like with anyone that once was held in such high esteem, the books began to turn and what once was written in reverent tones now the words were scathing and mean. But somewhere in that time the truth was coming to light. Once considered an underdog we soon learned that Kennedy was not above throwing his wealth and connections around to get what he wanted. And what he wanted was nothing short of the Presidency of the United States.

I've read enough, good and bad, over the years about John F Kennedy that I no longer consider him a hero. I know that his name is still considered fairly saintly in many circles, but Kennedy's Presidency was not the bright shinning beacon that many look on it as.

His sister commanded nowhere near the presence that he did, to the majority of the public she is probably unknown, but of the Kennedy clan I think she was more the hero. Eunice Kennedy helped create The Special Olypmics. The Special Olympics helped people with intellectual disabilities develop self-confidence, social skills and a sense of personal accomplishment.

My sister was born with Spina Bifda. In some ways she was lucky. She can walk, which I've found a lot of children born with Spina Bifda cannot. Before she was five years old she had a shunt put in her head to help drain excess water buildup on her brain. She died on the operating table at one point. While operating on her brain they think now someone cut a little too deep or a little too wrong and she's had seizures ever since.

When she was in high school she was in the 'special kids' class. You know which one that is, the class with all the kids in wheel chairs and those that talked out loud, and that most of the other kids made fun of. But she loved it. For one the class was small, I think less than a dozen kids, and of those kids she was the least handicapped there. She helped the teacher with the other kids, she was the star of the class. She was there when these kids praticapated in Special Olympics. With less than a year left of her high school career some burecrat decided in their infinite wisdom that these kids should be mainlined back into normal classes.

So my sister went from being the class star to one of those kids that don't fit in.

But she graduated. My Mom wasn't going to let her not graduate.

After school she volunteered at the school in the library. That year at the annual parish (a parish down here in Louisiana is what most of the rest of the country calls a county) where the school boards recognizes notable teachers and such she was awarded Volunteer of the Year.

I wasn't there, but I watched a video of it. Even today, many years later I can remember sitting at home watching the video. My sister walks hesitantly and when her name was called she walked up to the stage and I was watching, hoping she didn't trip or stumble. She has trouble with her hands, her left hand shakes and she has trouble holding things. I watched as they handed the plaque to her and she gripped it in her hands, smiling and walked off the stage. I didnt' even realize I was crying until I wiped at my eyes.

So to me Eunice Kennedy is the greater Kennedy.

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A Personal Milestone

This Sunday I turn 50.

Throughout your life there are certain birthdays that are supposed to be special. A sort of milestone that marks your place in life as you travel towards the end. But it's never been that way with me. Birthdays were never that important to me. Yes, I enjoy people fussing over me and giving me presents, but I never felt like they represented any special significance just because of certain numbers. You know the numbers, 21, 30, 40...those numbers that are supposed to make you pause and take reflection in your life.

To me they were just one more birthday. Another number. I guess I never looked at those growing numbers with the alarm that some people do, maybe because I never thought about how old I am. This is either going to sound cliche or like I'm already experiencing a mid life crisis, but it really is neither, but I never acted my age. I don't mean I was one of those older guys that try to be twenty years younger than they are and act like an idiot.

I don't think I look my age (and that's not really due to anything on my part except for inheriting good genes from my parents) and I don't act my age. Lots of what other people my age think as important I'm not that interested in. I still want to discover new things, I want to hear a new sound that thrills me, read a new book that makes me question life, watch a movie or tv show that makes me weep.

I've tried to live my life with the understanding that the feelings of others are just as important as mine.

I've lived my life I hope with as much truth as I could. I'm not going to claim that I've never hurt anyone or lied. I've tried not to, but sometimes things happen that you wish you could undo later. I've done somethings I wish I could redo, but nothing that I'm ashamed of.

I don't drink. I don't do drugs. In fact I've never done either. Ok, I take it back. Once in my wild younger years I drank a beer. Didn't agree with me. Now while I don't drink or do drugs I don't think others should necessarily follow my example. In fact I lean more towards legalization of drugs, our war on drugs has been lost years ago. And it's not that I feel some higher power is telling me not to do either. It's just a decision I made years ago and have followed through. It works for me, it doesn't work for everyone.

I don't curse. I have had friends try to get me to swear, just to hear me say a swear word. I just don't. Now I know I'm starting to sound like some sort of prude or religious nut, but really I'm not. I just made some decisions that I wanted to follow. I'm not a prude. In fact I favor letting people do what they want with each other as long as it doesn't hurt others. And as far as a religious nut, that I'm definitely not.

Mark Twain said "If one truly believes there is an all-powerful Diety, and one looks around at the condtion of the universe, one is led inesapably to the conclusion that God is a malign thug." I guess I don't have to say much more about my religious beliefs.

Why am I going into such lengths about all this? Because for once I'm finding myself thinking about a number as I approach my fifitieth birthday. Odds are that once I hit this Sunday I'm on the downhill side of my life. Except for my Dad who died because of smoking both sides of my parents family live long lives, into their ninties. But even if I follow that path I'm still looking at less years than I've already lived.

Am I satsified with my life? Of course not completely. There are still lots of things I want to do. Am I where I thought I'd be back when I hit that first milestone birthday of 21? No. I was thinking I'd be writing for a living now, but all our dreams don't come true. I've tried to live the life I've made as completely as I can and still have not given up on my dreams. Am I happy with my life? Yes I would say so. Like I said, there are things I wish had turned out differently, some things I wished had happened that haven't, but you play the hand you're dealt and I've enjoyed the past years.

Still with this birthday coming I've found myself pausing and wondering.

Maybe this is what a mid life crisis feels like.

TOMS Shoes

I first saw this as an AT&T commercial and wanted to learn more. I thought it sounded like a really good idea. I don't know if there is some hidden agenda here, and you know it's terrible that when you see something good being done the first thing you wonder is what's behind it, but hopefully this is just what it looks like. A company trying to do good while it makes money. Check out more about Tom's Shoes here.

Going to Memphis

Image via Wikipedia

I've decided to forego New Orleans Jazz Fest this year. It was a hard decision but for a lot of reasons I'm just going to have to skip it this year. I may go one or two days, but that'll be the extent of my visits there this year. Instead of taking my vacation the first week of May I'll be taking it the last week of May and going to visit my Mom.

Anyone know any good places to visit in Memphis? (Feel free to recommend some, Vinny.) The last few times I've been up there to see her we've hit Beale Street, Graceland, Sun Studios, the Zoo and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few places. I like to take her someplace when I go up there. I'm thinking of Elvis' birthplace in Tupelo, it's a little over an hour from her house. She actually doesn't live in Memphis, but about an hour or so outside in Saulsbury.

Fun Day

Image via Wikipedia

I look like I've been in a catfight. My hands and arms are covered with scratches. My brother came over today to help me cut down parts of a tree that is growing all over my yard. One branch is hanging so low that when I mow my yard I have to push it out of the way. Other branches were hanging dangerously over my fence and home. The bad part, it was a pine tree with lots of pine cones. There was no way to cut and move the branches without getting a lot of cuts and scratches.

You know, those branches didn't look so big up in the air, growing out of that tree. But once we cut them down and they were piled up on the ground, boy, did they look big. It took us three trips with a full pickup to get rid of all those branches.

I figured I owed my brother at least a free meal so afterwards we went to Chilis to eat.

I'm A Superhero

I found this over at Trav's blog. You can become your very own superhero!

New Cell Phone

Last week I was having problems with my phone. I ended up bringing it to the local Sprint Repair Store and getting it fixed, but it made me think about a new phone. I was planning to wait until the new Palm Pre comes out. At first it was scheduled for a mid March delivery, but now it looks like its going to be more towards June.

The Instinct came out right after I got my last phone, the Motorola Q9. If it had been available at the time I would have went with the Instinct. This phone is supposed to be Sprint's version of the I Phone. I've heard it called the I Phone Killer. I've read a lot of things that the Instinct does better than the I Phone and I like a lot of things it does so far.

I wish it had more applications. Most of what there is are just games. I want some of those cool apps you see on the commercials for the I Phone. So far there is a very limited amount of apps out there for the Instinct. I'm not really a game person, so all the games available don't really do much for me. Let's get going Sprint...let's get some other apps out there. If you plan on sticking with the Instinct for the long run you need to get more apps for it.

Saying that I really do like this phone. I can pull up web pages, including this blog on the phone. The touch screen is really easy to use. It's easy to get around and easy to use. So maybe I'll stick with longer than a year.

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Why?

I just have one question. Why would they take a brand that is world known and change its name? And to G? Le me have a bottle of G...I don't think so.

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